A pair of boxers from the Red Wolf Boxing Club will be making their way to Sarnia, Ontario for the Boxing Canada 2024 Elite National Championships later this month.
Cole Ahenakew and Devon Musaskapoe, who are both from Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, have been training for years with Red Wolf head coach Bradock Koch and will both be making their debuts on the national stage for Team Saskatchewan. There are nine male boxers and two female boxers representing Saskatchewan at the event
Koch says both boxers have improved tremendously since they started with the sport.
“The progression has been amazing, particularly in Cole. I wouldn’t say he was timid, but he was cautious. His last couple of bouts have been breakthrough bouts. He’s been putting it all together, a couple of good wins. Devon has been a warrior from the word go. He’s got six brothers and they all train and they all fight. I’m satisfied with the progress for both of them. I always air on the side of caution, but I have no worries for either for them.”
The event will draw some of the top competition from across the country. Koch says he wasn’t anticipating Ahenakew and Musaskapoe to be selected this year, but they will both gain tremendous experience.
“I think this is putting their toe in the lake. I didn’t think they were going to be picked for this year. We were preparing for next year, like next season being the time they would go to the Nationals. They were both selected and they both said we want to go. I don’t know how well they’ll do, the east has some really experienced boxers. Cole’s had almost 30 bouts and Devon has had 12. They’ll be up against guys who have had 60, 70 or 80. You always learn a lot when you’re with and around better boxers.”
For Cole Ahenakew, being named to Team Saskatchewan has been years in the making. In preparation for the event, he says he is working on being mentally prepared for facing the cream of the crop.
“I’m pretty excited about it. I feel like I’m at the level to fight the top fighters in Canada. It’s more mental from now. I feel like physically and skill-wise and every way I feel like I’m ready for this. I’ve been training years for this, I know I’m ready.”
“It’s just self-belief, really believing I can stick with the best and beat the best and I really do believe it right now. That’s the whole mental aspect of it. If you believe you can do it, you can. The mind’s so powerful and I really believe I can do it.”
The training process for the nationals has also had a healing effect for Ahenakew. Earlier this year, it was announced that his older brother Shequille Gamble had passed away. He was reported as missing for more then two years before he was found deceased.
Ahenakew says he wants to succeed at nationals for his brother.
“It means so much to me from where I was before and then I’m real motivated because I’m coping (and) dealing with grief too. I lost my brother a month ago. It helps me get out of bed every day. I’m so motivated to go to the nationals and I want to make my brother proud. That’s the motivation, I’m taking it as a positive. I know he would want me to be happy and motivated to go chase my dreams.”
Ahenakew adds that he is hopeful that his achievements in the ring will inspire others from his home community of Ahtahkakoop to take up a sport.
“That means a lot. I’m super excited. I feel like I’ll make a lot of people proud like my family, my community from Ahtahkakoop. I feel like I’ll make a lot of people proud. I want to inspire people to know they can make it, like they can travel like all around the world with sport. Boxing has taken me all over Canada so far now.”
Musaskapoe was not available for an interview with the Herald.
The 2024 Boxing Canada Elite Nationals take place from Nov. 19-23.
